The wood pallet is by far the most commonly used pallet in the United States. FIG. 1 is a representation of a standard North American pallet 10, or a Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA) style pallet. The pallet 10 represented in FIG. 1 is constructed of three wood stringers 12. The lengths of the stringers 12 are parallel and spatially positioned across the width of the pallet 10. The stringers are provided with notches 14 in their bottom edges. The notches 14 are dimensioned to accommodate blades of a forklift. The forklift blades are inserted through the notches to enable lifting of the pallet by the forklift. The blades of a forklift can also be inserted between the spatially arranged stringers 12.
A plurality of top deck boards 16 are attached to the top surfaces of the stringers 12 and extend across the stringers. The top deck boards 16 are also constructed of wood. In the pallet 10 represented in FIG. 1, there are five top deck boards 16.
The pallet 10 is also constructed of a plurality of bottom deck boards 18. The bottom deck boards 18 are also constructed of wood. As represented in FIG. 1, the bottom deck boards 18 are attached to the bottom surfaces of the stringers 12 and extend across the stringers.
The wood used in the construction of the pallet 10 makes the pallet heavy, expensive, bulky, and wood intensive. The wood is also susceptible to mold and mildew. Widespread use of the wood in pallets has resulted in environmental problems and waste disposal problems.